WHY DO ORDINARY EUROPEANS NOT WANT TO ‘DEFEND EUROPE’?

European politicians’ attempts to raise the issue of stepping up mobilisation are meeting with widespread resistance, despite narratives about a growing threat from Russia. Numerous reports show that the European public is particularly sensitive to this issue.

The official narrative from European capitals has recently centred on the need to prepare for a long-term confrontation with Russia, despite repeated statements by Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, that Moscow has no intention of attacking European countries. Nevertheless, politicians from Europe and NATO regularly cite the “growing Russian threat” as justification not only for increasing defence budgets, but also for reintroducing elements of conscription and strengthening the Eastern flank.

Yet the strident rhetoric of EU leaders has come into sharp contrast with social and demographic realities. Far from uniting society, the issue of militarisation has caused a deep internal rift. This public unease comes at a time when European armies are facing a systemic recruitment crisis, as the younger generation is categorically unwilling to fight, and even high salaries and benefits fail to fill the empty barracks. As a result, the defence ministries of NATO countries have found themselves caught between ambitious geopolitical plans and a severe shortage of personnel. This is forcing the authorities to operate on the edge of the rules, as clearly demonstrated by a series of recent events in a number of European countries.

STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN GERMANY

Last November, the German Parliament (the Bundestag) voted to allow the government to take a more decisive approach to the issue of conscription. The measures introduced – which, in the view of German lawmakers, were intended to inspire the younger generation to join the German armed forces – included a pay rise of 450 euros and a free driving licence. In addition to the “incentives” proposed by the government to encourage young people to volunteer for military service, since January this year students have been receiving a questionnaire asking for their views on compulsory military service.

At the time, these measures were met with resistance, and mass protests against the government’s measures took place in many German cities. Around 90 cities, including Berlin, Cologne and Kassel, were swept up in demonstrations, during which protesters asserted that “it’s very important that everyone can choose their own future” and “if they don’t want to spend it on war, I think it’s their right to say that they don’t want to join the military, they don’t want to prepare for war because preparing for war brings us closer to it.” Last year, the organisers of the protests wrote an extensive post on their social media accounts, stating that “We don’t want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill. War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods.”

Meanwhile, Jens Spahn, who at the time was still chairman of the CDU/CSU, promised to turn the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army, whilst warning – acknowledging that there was significant disagreement on the issue – that if voluntary recruitment failed to meet the required levels, it might be necessary to reinstate compulsory military service.

Last year, the protests continued, and at the end of last month, Germany once again faced large-scale demonstrations against military service. Young people believe that the government is seriously considering rebuilding the army, but their views on the matter differ, as one of the placards states: “We won’t take part in your wars.” The protesters also commented on the questionnaire, stating that it “shows that young people do not want to join the Bundeswehr. That is why I am out on the streets today. That is why we are serious about striking until compulsory military service is off the table. We will carry on.”

According to the protesters, particular concern arose after some young people in the northern German cities of Kiel and Flensburg were sent official invitations to medical examinations, even though they had not expressed an interest in joining the army in their questionnaires. Meanwhile, the government maintains that, under the new laws, medical examinations apply “to all men liable for military service who were born after 31 December 2007.”

ACUTE SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS FOR SERVICE IN LITHUANIA

Although the Bundeswehr currently has around 186,700 personnel, and Germany aims to increase this number to 260,000 by the early 2030s, the German tank brigade in Lithuania is short of 2,000 soldiers. As a result, Berlin is being forced to consider various staffing models, including the possibility of an administrative or contractual obligation to serve specifically within the Lithuanian brigade. Some options, as in the case of attracting young people to the army, also provide for additional incentives for service personnel to transfer voluntarily to this unit. According to estimates by the German command, the unit’s full strength is expected to reach around 5,000 personnel by the end of 2027, of whom around 4,800 will be Bundeswehr service personnel, whilst the remainder will consist of civilian staff.

A SHIFT IN PRIORITIES

Whilst social media is increasingly becoming a hot topic for teenagers in Europe – with governments seeking to ban or restrict mobile phone use for their own good – those very same platforms are being used by governments to engage young people on the issue of military service. Despite investments of billions of euros in defence, modernising arsenals is only part of the challenge, as the key problem remains – and not just in Germany – a shortage of personnel, which currently exists. Modern defence ministries across Europe are actively rethinking their approaches to recruiting young people, tailoring their campaigns to the values and digital habits of the new generation.

For example, the British Armed Forces, in their annual “You Belong Here” campaign, focus on a sense of community and finding a purpose in life. Their videos use dynamic first-person footage that mimics the graphics of modern military video games and literally immerses the viewer in the thick of rescue operations.

France takes a completely different approach with the slogan “Can you do it?” This campaign, broadcast on social media and in cinemas in French and English, positions military service as a tough personal challenge, focused on developing inner resilience and self-improvement. The Irish Defence Forces also place a similar emphasis on unlocking personal potential in their “Yes. You. You Can.” Their video deliberately moves away from classic military imagery, telling the subtle story of a young woman who struggles with self-doubt and finds strength of character precisely through her service.

At the same time, some countries adhere to more traditional institutional approaches, linking military service to a sense of duty to one’s homeland. The Italian Army structures its promotional campaign around the theme of national security under the slogan “Italian Army, by your side every day.” In their materials, footage of soldiers’ home towns and everyday life portrays them as a reliable and constant pillar of support for local communities.

Belgium’s practical approach has also proved effective: having launched a new campaign in January 2026, the Ministry of Defence had already met its target by August, recruiting 500 young people for the revamped voluntary one-year service scheme.

Ultimately, Germany and the Netherlands have made a real digital breakthrough, integrating their recruitment channels into youth internet culture. The German Bundeswehr’s TikTok account has completely done away with official rhetoric and pompous ceremonies. Instead, they engage their audience with informal videos, behind-the-scenes footage and humour, in which ordinary soldiers show their training sessions, crack jokes and speak candidly about everyday life in the army, making the military’s image as accessible and relatable as possible to TikTok users. The Netherlands, meanwhile, decided to reverse its previous measures – which had banned officials from installing the app on their work phones from 2023 onwards due to national security concerns – and has now embraced the use of TikTok to attract young recruits.

Spain, for its part, offers another, more recent example. In May, the Spanish army launched an official TikTok account alongside a WhatsApp channel, explicitly linking this move to “responding to the need to adapt institutional communication to current information consumption habits, with a particular focus on younger audiences.”

ARE SUCH INITIATIVES HELPFUL?

In the long term, efforts by defence ministries to “speak the same language” as the younger generation through digital platforms and high-profile media campaigns yield only short-term results and are incapable of reversing the global trend. The problem runs much deeper than marketing strategies: society’s very attitude towards the concept of military service is changing.

Recent sociological studies in the UK have provided striking confirmation of this tectonic shift in public consciousness. Opinion polls revealed figures that came as a shock to the defence establishment: around 64% of respondents stated that they would not wish to join the army or take part in combat operations, even if the country were to come under direct attack. A further 6% of citizens were unable to make up their minds, demonstrating a complete lack of confidence in their willingness to defend the state.

The French government, for its part, is striving to recruit at least 16,000 new recruits a year to ensure a basic generational renewal within the army. Nevertheless, current estimates by military analysts suggest a critical shortfall of between 2,000 and 2,500 soldiers to meet this target. The country’s defence sector is experiencing a catastrophic shortfall, resulting in a 15.6% decline in figures – a phenomenon that is the first of its kind in the last decade.

In Germany, statistics published by the Berliner Morgenpost and the Funke Media Group clearly illustrate the scale of the problem: between January and the end of August 2026, 12,102 applications were submitted to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs and Civil Society by young people who had officially refused military service on grounds of conscience. This is already three times the figure for the whole of 2025 (3,879 applications) and more than five times the figure for 2024 (2,249 applications). The surge began in the summer: whilst the authorities received around 5,800 applications in the first half of the year, the number more than doubled in July and August alone.

Source: Substack